Simply Sinful: Lost Angels MC, page 9
****
God be damned if I can’t admit that I had fun with Tank. It’s been a while since anyone from the club would talk to me, or even tolerate being around me. It also helps that no matter what I say or do it just rolls right off of Tank, and he is always ready to give as good as I gave. He doesn’t give two shits about the anger that radiates off of me like a second skin, or how I glower at him every time he takes a jab at me after I had tried to fuck with him. He’s a strange one, but I can see why he got along with everyone. Fucking prick. I even remembered by the end of the night...that I like him, he’s an alright guy...or it could have been all the alcohol I consumed. It’s a toss-up at this point.
He had to call Echo to come pick us up, but he didn’t pick up. Tank comments that he's probably taking advantage of Lidia in his absence. I’m not sure why it made me laugh, but soon I head to the bathroom before I piss myself. So after a few other calls are made, Vince is the one to pick us up. His baby girl had already woken him and Sara anyhow, and I think he needed some other distraction.
It’s way more fun to be in the back of a cruiser when there aren’t handcuffs involved. I’m sad when I don’t see Em’s car in the drive when we get back to Lidia’s house. When did I turn into this sappy pussy?
“We should do that again, that means you can't leave the club,” Tank says as he tries to find the door handle. Shit I forgot I said that to him. He finds it the same moment Vince opens it, and Tank tumbles out of the car. I can’t decide if I should ask if he’s alright or laugh at the idiocy. I choose to laugh, so does Vince. Tank joins in as soon as he finds his way to his back.
“You fucking idiot,” Vince says. “Get up so I can drop idiot number two off, before I am in trouble with Sara for being too long.”
“Yeah, yeah, Sara ain't that scary. I could take her.”
“You clearly have forgotten how quick of a learner she is. Plus, in this state... you’re already on the floor, so by default she wins.”
“Harsh,” he slurs, but he finds his way to his feet, and we are driving away before he’s made it all the way to his front door.
“What’s your address?” Vince asks. When I tell him, he looks up through the mirror to see me. “Are you serious?” I just nod my answer. “If this town had a ghetto that area would be it. Do you know how much crime goes on over there? How many calls we get a week about domestic abuse or drug deals gone wrong? What the fuck are you doing living out there?”
“It’s the only place I can afford.”
“Does Ric know?”
I shrug. “Fuck if I know. At least, I know he’s never been over.”
“I’ll see about finding you another place.”
“No,” I shake my head, “I don’t need your help.” I feel like a damn child all over again, Jules asking me about my foster guardians, but I wasn’t a charity case that others could just poke their nose into and judge.
Vince shakes his head but says nothing. When he parks outside of my apartment, his mouth is in a severe line, and his eyes are scanning every inch of the area, just waiting for an attack. The shit part is, it’s possible.
“How you getting back to your truck?”
“Fuck,” I run a hand through my hair, “I guess I’ll figure it out after seeing Em tomorrow.”
“If you need help, you know how to get ahold of me.”
Before I can stop it, my face sours up like I’ve sucked a lemon. I’ve never been good at accepting help, and it’s been a hard pill to swallow that Vince seemed to be a favorite among the club, and of Ric’s, my dislike of Vince was automatic. Though every turn, and every fucking jam I’ve been in, Vince has offered to lend a hand. It’s just the kind of guy he is. “Thanks,” I say to him as I smooth out my face, “I’ll call if I need yah," I may have slammed the door with unnecessary force.
I barely make it my bed, and don't wake until my phone starts to ring.
"Where are you?" Em whisper shouts in my ear.
"Huh?" I ask.
"The shop, I thought you were going to pick me up."
I bolt in bed and take my phone away from my ear to discover it is past ten o'clock. "Shit, I got pissed, and forgot to set an alarm. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Don't bother."
"Hello… Em?" I look down at my phone again and find she fucking hung up on me. Growling, I jerk myself from bed, despite the protests of my body, particularly my head. I grab my keys on my way out the door. I thank whoever needs to be thanked that my bike is still where I parked it and jump on.
I'm at the shop within twelve minutes even though it's on the other side of town. When I get inside, Em stands at the counter as a middle-aged woman reprimands her. Em stands tall, letting her. If I wasn't already angry with her myself, I might have stepped in sooner, but when Mrs. Jackson says she can't commit due to Em's lack of respect I can't seem to fucking help coming to her rescue.
"It isn't her fault." Em whips her head towards me at my words, a frown soon replacing the shock.
But it’s Mrs. Jackson who speaks, "I could care less who's actually at fault, you should mind your nose, because either way I won't be doing business with someone unable to keep their word no matter the circumstances. How hard is it to pick up a phone to say I’ll be late? Or that I won’t be able to make it?” She looks from me to Em waiting for one of us to answer.
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Em says. She turns and she grabs my upper arm and starts walking, leaving me to walk backwards. When we make it back outside, she lets me go, “I had it under control.”
“Yeah, it looked like it.”
She looks up at me then, her eyes narrowing, “I don’t need you to save me every time I get into trouble. You already showed yesterday you’re capable of letting me drown a little if it benefits you, you should have done the same in there.” She tilts her chin back at the shop.
That was some cut throat shit, and she fucking knew they would hurt. For a second, it's all I can do to look down and stare at her. I look inside and see Mrs. Jackson watching us. Jerking my arm from Em’s grasp, I mutter, “It’s not benefiting me now." I don’t look back as I re-enter the shop. Mrs. Jackson stands straighter, her jaw tight as she waits for battle.
“Look, there is no one else in town that has the resources you do. You know if the flowers don’t come from you, there won’t be any flowers at all for this wedding. Are you saying you’re going to hold a grudge and make a bride’s memory of her day less than what she wants over a misunderstanding? Do you really want to be responsible for that?” I don’t give her a chance to answer, stating, “What do I need to do to make sure that doesn't happen?”
Mrs. Jackson’s jaw works, her mouth a hard, straight line. It takes several long seconds for her to speak. “No delivery. If you want the flowers, you’ll be responsible for getting them to their destination on time, not me. There will be a window of time in which you can pick up your order, but if it goes beyond that, you’re back where you are now, and your bride’s flowers will be up for resale for anyone else to purchase. To safeguard my own interests, everything must be paid for before the pickup, and there won’t be any refund.” Her chin held high, she puts out a hand for me to shake.
I wait her out, though I know she’s firm in her terms, and there won’t be any changing her mind. “You’re a shrewd business owner. I can respect that, and I can accept your terms,” I put my hand in hers for a firm handshake that I should have expected, “Em has the details, and you two can work it all out for what the order will look like.”
Mrs. Jackson lets my hand go and gives me a smile. “Alright, then let's get started.”
I can feel Em’s eyes before I turn around, and I know by the way she walks past me to get negotiations started that she heard the whole exchange. What I didn't expect was the way she looked at me. Shining in her eyes was unexpected tenderness. She may have said she didn’t want to be saved, but that look tells me a different story entirely. It’s clear she’s still hurt from my actions yesterday, maybe even still wary of my intent, I may even deserve her suspicion, but I wish she would accept that I’m human. I’m going to make mistakes; yet she has always been my end game, so no matter my faults I never want to jeopardize that.
Bringing out my phone I text Ric. I'm not sure if he'll tell me what I'm asking for, but it's worth a shot. I'm not going to leave anything to chance this time.
Chapter 14
It’s easy enough to get everything settled after Mrs. Jackson agrees to work with us. I may have been too harsh on Cole, but he had shirked his responsibilities and left me having to clean up the mess. Though if I had been honest with myself, I shouldn't have waited an hour, and after the first call didn't reach him, I should have left on my own to leave him to catch up.
However, when it came to him, the left side of my brain didn't fire off as it should, leaving my emotions to run amuck. Which isn't his fault either. It's mine, I've let him become this picture in my head that no longer exists. I think it's time I get to know who he is now.
So as we meet up outside, I stick my hand out to him. He looks down puzzled but still takes my hand in his. His touch is rough and calloused, that of a working man, no longer a boy, "I'm Emmaline, but most call me Em. I think it's time we got to know one another."
He lets out a bark of laughter, "I think we're past an introduction," he squeezes my hand, "this very hand’s been down your pants."
Of course he'd go there, I roll my eyes as I take my hand back. "We need to start somewhere."
He sobers, he runs a hand through his dark hair. "Yeah alright. So where exactly should we begin."
"From the beginning. That's where most people start, and I think…" I look up into his eyes, "I think we both need a new one."
With a curve of his lips he sticks out his hand. "Hi, I'm Cole," I return his smile and handshake.
It isn’t like starting anew, but it’s the best I can think of to try a different direction than we seem to be going. I need to separate my old memories with new ones and reshape the person he is today. He needs to do the same for me. We’ve grown up, and we can’t expect each other to be what we no longer are.
He leaves soon after saying he has to get his truck, and then drop off his bike, but he’ll call me and meet me wherever I end up. Though since I plan to be at Lydia’s most of the day, I tell him just to meet me there.
“What happened?” Lidia asks as soon as I walk through the door.
“Why would you think something happened?”
“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
I shrug, “No more than usual.”
“I call bullshit. What’d he do now?”
I roll my eyes. “He didn’t end up picking me up, he was late, apparently too drunk to set an alarm, but in the end he’s what saved the whole thing.”
“Well the being late doesn’t surprise me,” she gestures over her shoulder towards her bedroom. “Tank is still out cold from all the alcohol he consumed. You should have seen him. He initially fell asleep in the entryway. Echo found him sometime in the middle of the night and dragged him into bed.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“You don’t have to ask me if you can ask a question. Just ask.”
I laugh and shake my head. "Alright, point made. Why are you all living here? I know Tank and Echo’s place is bigger than yours.”
“I keep telling them we can move into their place after the wedding,” her mouth twists, “but to be honest this is the first place I’ve ever really claimed as my own. I don't like the thought of leaving it. Plus, after what happened at their house, I’m kind of uneasy in it.”
“I knew it!” We both jump as the male voice echoes in the small space. Lidia twists to see, and I look around her. Tank stands there with only boxers, Jesus he is completely covered in ink. His hands are on his hips giving Lidia a sour look, “you wait till I tell Echo you’ve been lying to us.”
“Lying and omitting the truth are two different things. Plus, you gained the information by eavesdropping, everyone knows that doesn’t count. Right Emmy?”
My head bobs about as if I’m on the dash of a car, not really committing to any direction, truly not wanting to get in the middle of this quarrel.
“Omitting is if we didn’t ask you directly.” His mouth is hard, but I can see amusement dancing in his eyes, “and no matter how I obtained the information it’s still the truth.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine,” she lifts her chin, “tell him.”
They stare off for what seems like an age, before Tank speaks again. “It’s a good thing we’ve already decided to sell our house.”
She gasps. “You didn’t!”
“You know we did. We’ve had part of the house boxed up for a month already,” his arms cross over his own chest.
“We can’t all live here comfortably all the time!” she exclaims.
“We’ve been doing just fine up till now, plus we expect to expand on this house so we can all have it the way we want it. We’re already getting permits from the county to build.”
“But...why?” she asks, “it doesn’t make sense to do all that work.”
“It doesn’t have to make sense if it’s the right thing to do. You’re happy here, and we are happy wherever you are. It doesn’t matter which roof is over our head.”
Her eyes start to water, and I’m no longer sure if I should be here, a third party to their tender moment. Though I don’t move, not wanting to interrupt them either.
“I love you, love you both so much.”
He smiles, and comes closer to wipe her tears away, “We know. Echo is going to be pissed thought that I told you about your wedding present, we’re just going to have to rethink.”
“Don’t you dare,” her frown is back, “I don’t need a thing other than the two of you.”
He smacks her behind. “Don’t you worry about that,” he looks over her shoulder at me then looks down into her eyes again, “get on with it so I can have you in our bed before I go to work.” He squeezes her ass, and my cheeks flush as he gives Lidia a back-bending kiss that leaves her moaning her disapproval when he disentangles from her. Gratefully, he goes back into the bedroom and shuts the door. His erection didn’t escape my notice…
“Uh! They make me crazy!” she huffs out as she turns back to me, but she’s wearing a smile.
“Yeah, but crazy isn’t the word I’d use,” I say with my own smile. “So... should we get to it?”
When she nods, we turn and start on finishing up the centerpieces that we didn’t get to last night. After a long bout of silence Lidia asks if I’d like to help pick out her dress. Brook is already going, and she’s even invited Sara along to get her out of the house. Sara will be bringing along little Camilla since Vince is already scheduled to work that day. Of course, I agree. I am the maid of honor after all.
“So how’s your list coming? I know there is still a bunch of stuff left to do and that's with Cole and I working together.”
“Almost done. When the club bar is slow it’s easy to work on it. I bring my laptop, so I’ve been purchasing a few things from Amazon, and what I can’t I’ve been making local calls. What else do you have to do on the list?”
“Still need to find a band, and a place I can purchase or borrow an arch.”
“Oh you can take both of those things off. Since I’ve decided to do it in the backyard, a band won’t fit back there anyways, a jukebox will do just fine. As for the arch I have convinced the guys to make one of our own.”
“Well...I guess the big stuff is done then, except for the dresses. What color are you putting us in?”
“A hideous puke green color.” She keeps a straight face as long as she can before she bursts out laughing, stating, “you should have seen your face.”
I smack her on her arm. “You ass.”
“Oh come on, the face you made was totally worth it. To be honest I haven’t given it much thought. I think a nice sky blue, or light tan. What do you think?”
“It’s your wedding.”
“Yeah, but I want you to be able to use the dress again. So what are you more likely to wear?”
“I kind of like the thought of owning a nude dress, something that's a tad lighter than my skin. Then you can jazz it up with any color you like, a bright belt and shoes.”
“I really like that idea, then you all can choose which color you like best to go with it to bring some individuality,” she leans over and squeezes me, “I love it! If the appointment wasn’t already set for Saturday, I’d want to go now and pick the dresses for you guys right now.”
“Saturday is soon enough,” I start to laugh. “It’s tomorrow.”
“I know, but it’s exciting!”
A ding comes from my phone. I take it from my back pocket and see it's a text from Cole.
Hey…
Um, alright. I reply with my own "Hey” and shake my head. Setting my phone on the table, I look back to Lidia.
"So I see he still makes you smile like a loon, even after that wreck of a date, and today's mini crisis."
I hadn't even realized I'd been smiling, "I guess so, but he's always been good at making me smile and forgetting why I’m angry in the first place."
"The good ones are always good at that it seems," she shakes her head and sucks on her bottom lip before saying, "Echo and Tank get away with so much shit, and their way of negotiation… actually don't get me started on that," her cheeks start to redden.
My phone vibrates gently against the table. I laugh, "saved by the vibration," I grab my phone and read the text.
Something's come up. Enjoy the day with L. If you want, I'll call or txt you later. I want to get to know the new Em.
I'm disappointed that I won't see him, and I'm curious as to what is keeping him away, or maybe who? I shake myself. I won't allow myself to dwell on it.
Okay sure. Txt me later.
Will do.
"Now what did he do?"
